Thailand’s ruling military junta, which calls itself the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), has been in power since a coup d’etat in May 2014. In this talk, Panuwat Panduprasert argues that many aspects of the junta’s behaviour can be explained in terms of political learning. Specifically, it has learned from the perceived mistakes of the previous coup in 2006 which failed to eradicate the political influence of Thaksin Shinawatra and thus was regarded as a ‘wasted opportunity’.

Speaker: Panuwat Panduprasert

Panuwat Panduprasert is a lecturer at the School of Politics and Government, Faculty of Political Science and Public Administration, Chiang Mai University, Thailand. He is currently writing his PhD thesis at the School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds, focusing on the military’s role in contemporary Thai politics. He holds a BA from the University of Cambridge and an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Date: Tuesday 6 February 2018

Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Venue: Room 116 Main Building, SOAS University of London

The event is free to attend and open to students, scholars, and members of the public.